Authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to convey certain property in St. Clair County to Edith Gould for $10. Effective immediately.
Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to investigate and report on cases involving a serious life-threatening injury of a child (as well as cases involving the death of a child). Makes changes concerning the information that must be contained in the Department's reports. Provides that in any case involving the death or near death of a child, when a person responsible for the child has been charged with committing a crime that results in the child's death or near death, there shall be a presumption that the best interest of the public will be served by public disclosure of certain information concerning the circumstances of the investigations of the death or near death of the child and any other investigations concerning that child or other children living in the same household. Makes other changes concerning the release of such information.
Amends the Hospital District Law. Provides that a hospital district may issue bonds, notes, or other obligations, or enter into a line of credit, secured by property taxes, unencumbered accounts receivable, or other revenues. Allows the district to establish a line of credit in connection with those borrowings. Provides that the Treasurer may accept a linked-deposit proposal from an eligible institution, subject to certain restrictions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Expands the definition of "volunteer emergency worker" to include a person who is a volunteer member of a county or municipal emergency services and disaster agency pursuant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, an auxiliary policemen, or an auxiliary deputy appointed by a county sheriff.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to afford members of the public time to make comments to or to ask questions of the Commission at each regular and special meeting. Requires the Commission to provide a web site and a toll-free telephone number to accept comments from Illinois residents regarding any matter under the auspices of the Commission or before the Commission. Requires the Commission staff to report to the full Commission comments and suggestions received through both venues before all relevant votes of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall establish procedures for accepting testimony from Illinois residents on matters pending before the Commission. Effective immediately.
Amends the Municipal Code. Provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to run for elective municipal office, but whose residency period was interrupted due to that person's active duty military service outside of the municipality, or the active duty military service of that person's spouse, may run for municipal office regardless of whether or not that person has resided within the municipality for at least one year since returning from service outside of the municipality. Effective immediately.
Encourages efforts to bring a version of Operation Recognition ( a program to recognize high school seniors who decide to enter the Armed Forces) to the State of Illinois.
Supports the creation of a historical center dedicated to the interpretation and understanding of French colonial life in the United States, to be sited at Fort de Chartres State Park.
Amends the Election Code. In campaign contribution disclosure reports filed on or after July 1, 2005, requires that a judicial candidate's political committee disclose which contributors, if any, or a contributor's employer appeared in an action before the judge as a party or the attorney of a party. Effective immediately.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2005 assessment year, wooded land must be assessed at the same level as its 2004 assessment level. Defines "wooded land" as any parcel of unimproved real property that is timberland and that: (1) does not qualify as cropland, permanent pasture, other farmland, or wasteland; and (2) is not managed under a forestry management plan so as to be considered as "other farmland". Effective immediately.
